Maple Leafs Forward Gavin McKenna's Preseason Debut Announced
TORONTO -- Gavin McKenna will make his preseason debut when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDSI, TSN4).
The 1st OA pick in 2026 will make his debut against a division rival, the Montreal Canadiens, on home ice Saturday, and is projected to be on the same line as William Nylander and John Tavares. According to Hiller, McKenna has found chemistry with both Maple Leafs veterans and has been skating on the same line with them during training camp.
Gavin McKenna Earns Praise From Auston Matthews
McKenna's poise and efforts during training camp caught the eye of Auston Matthews, who completed the prospect on his prowess.
"He's great, he plays with a lot of confidence," Matthews said. "I think he's come in right away and found his groove. You can tell when he's on the ice and has the puck, the kind of skill, and the plays that he can make. That line seems to have meshed really well over the last few days, three extremely talented and skilled players that can move, can make plays and are dangerous one on one. So I think he's fitting really well with those guys, and fitting really well with the team so far and seems very comfortable and has the confidence that he knows he's a great player, and that he can play at this level, too."
McKenna played last season with the Penn State Nittany Lions, scoring 51 points (16 goals, 35 assists) in 35 games. Prior to making the jump from the WHL, he played with the Medicine Hat Tigers, where he played 133 games, scoring 244 points (79 goals and 165 assists).
General manager John Chayka signed the 1st OA pick in 2026 to a 3-year, $1.075 million AAV entry-level contract on July 3rd, 2026.